HISTORY OF A^ERMONT. 361 



When he arrived at Crown Point, be found 

 that there was no prospect that the Enghsh ar- 

 my would soon make an attempt against that 

 place. Little acquainted with an American 

 war, he concluded to march on with his troops, 

 and attack the English in their camp ; and if 

 successful to make further attempts upon their 

 northern settlements, Albany or Schenectady, 

 as should be found practicable. In this way, 

 he was not without hopes to bring about the 

 reduction of Oswego, by cutting off the com- 

 munication between that fortress, and the set- 

 tlements in New York, from which they must 

 be supplied with provisions. With these hopes 

 and expectations, Dieskau embarked at Crowix 

 Point with eighteen hundred m.en, in batteaux, 

 and landed them at South Bay, now called 

 Westfield. By an English prisoner, the baron 

 received information that fort Edward was al- 

 most defenceless ; and that the English camp 

 at the lake, was v/ithout either entrenchments 

 or cannon. He fixed upon fort Edv/ard, as the 

 place for attack ; and marched on till he came 

 within three or four miles of the place. There 

 he made known his designs to his army. It 

 consisted of tv.'o hundred regulars, eight hun- 

 dred militia, and seven or eight hundred In- 

 dians. The general informed them, that the 

 enterprise would certainly succeed ; and that 

 by reducing fort Edv/ard, the English army at 

 the lake must necessarily abandon their camp^, 

 and disperse in confusion, in any direction in 

 which they could escape : Then the conse- 

 quence would probably be that Albany would 

 also fall, and Oswego be subdued by the want 



